A number of different tribes have lived scattered across the highland plateau for 1000 years, in small agrarian clans, isolated by the harsh terrain and divided by language, custom and tradition. The legendary Asaro Mudmen first met with the Western world in the middle of the 20th century. Legend has it that the Mudmen were forced to flee from an enemy into the Asaro River where they waited until dusk to escape. The enemy saw them rise from the banks covered in mud and thought they were spirits. The Asaro still apply mud and masks to keep the illusion alive and terrify other tribes.

The mudmen could not cover their faces with mud because thepeople of Papua New Guinea thought that the mud from the Asaroriver was poisonous. So instead of covering their faces with this allegedpoison, they made masks from pebbles that they heated and waterfrom the waterfall, with unusual designs such as long or very shortears either going down to the chin or sticking up at the top,long joined eyebrows attached to the top of the ears, horns andsideways mouths.